A style and beauty blog by Maura Elizabeth

Category: Lifestyle

There’s something about a new year that makes you really want to change up your wardrobe. I for one am thinking I want to wear more black this year, I have never really had in my wardrobe and I’m feeling like as a New Yorker it’s a must. Never the less, here are some items that I’ve been eyeing to change up my style in 2017.

These are a few pieces from Nordstrom that I had wanted to get in 2016, but didn’t purchase, and you know you sometimes just can’t forget about certain clothes you want? The red sweater is a nice length and I love the color.

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Recently I was lucky enough to travel to Montana and take in the gorgeous mountains and beautiful trails. I hit the slopes of Big Sky Mountain in Big Sky, MT and enjoyed some amazing meals and fresh snow.

We stayed at a beautiful condo about 15 minutes away from the mountain to be closer to town. We booked it through the Beehive Property Management Company – I would highly recommend them! We had a hot tub and some lovely mountain decor.

There was so much amazing food there it was unbelievable. I have never tried elk, bison or trout and they were all delicious! Here’s a look at my yummy elk and bison Bolognese.

I would highly recommend Olive B’s Bistro in the meadow village as well and the Lone Mountain Ranch Dining Room and The Rainbow Ranch for dinner. We also had a great batch of nachos and beer at the Lone Peak Brewing Company!

If you’re looking to go skiing out west or just sight seeing, Big Sky has it all.

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My skin has finally found a combination that it likes lately and I feel that not sharing would be a disservice. I have combination skin and it’s very sensitive to makeup and products, any little dirt causes a breakout. Due to this, I never sleep in my makeup and I try and use products made for sensitive skin.

Here’s some products I have been using since around September and so far I am breakout free and my skin has never been softer.

I like to use an intense moisturizer and eye cream because my skin can get pretty dehydrated at night. I received free samples of the Bobbi Brown Hydrating Face Cream and Hydrating Eye Cream and I love them, they don’t make my skin oily and my skin looks amazing when I wake up.

My all time favorite and life saving mask is the Peter Thomas Roth Therapeutic Sulfur Masque. It either gets rid of all my breakouts or greatly reduces them. This is what I use before all big events and it always pulls through.

I also wanted to mention two of my long time favorites, I don’t use these products everyday but I love them. I had not ever seen this brand and have still yet to but these 24k Donna Bella products really leave my skin feeling refreshed and primed. This moisturizer/toner combo is a very light formula that smells amazing!

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To be Honest, I pride myself on giving a good gift. I started searching in September for something for my loved ones. Living in the city and having to buy on a strict budget, I want to save up while also finding something that the person really likes or wants.

This year I’m buying for my mom and dad, brother and boyfriend, here’s some great ideas for gifts for the loved ones in your life.

Men or Women LL Bean Slippers ($70) : I personally have these slippers, so do most people I know. So if you know someone who doesn’t have them yet, you can’t loose giving these as a present. With LL bean’s lifetime guarantee, you’re basically getting them amazing slippers for the rest of their life!

Laura Mercier Coconut Almond Bath Collection ($75): You may think this is a lot for bath products but I’ve used these and they’re really luxurious. The body wash leaves your skin super soft and the scent lingers all day. Perfect for those spa lovers.

Beer Cap Wall Art ($35) : This one is a great one for a guy who you have no idea what to get…aka my brother. It’s great because it is wall decor as well as a collectors item. I got this for him last year and it’s been a great way to see what cool beers he has tried.

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There’s so many places with Black Friday deals. I for one have not wanted to leave my bed to shop on this holiday, but for those of you who want to brave the crowds, here are some of the best online and in-store deals.

For the clothes: Nordstrom – Offering an extra 20% off from now until Sunday, I know this doesn’t seem like much but if you’re shopping in the “Trends” department, brands are reasonably priced and you can get an even better deal for the holiday season. Some of my favorite picks are this gorgeous sequin dress for the holidays and an amazing deal on a cute Kate Spade purse! In-Store and Online, returns are in-store only!

2. For the tech buys: Best Buy – Offering a $250 gift card with the purchase of a contract IPhone 7 or IPhone 7 Plus, they also have the best deal for an IPad Pro, starting at $449, that’s $150 off the regular price! If you’re looking for a new camera, they have a great Nikon DSLR with two zoom lenses for $600! In-store and Online.

4. For the fitness buff: Dick’s is open for extended hours and is also offering over $50 off select Fitbit models! I have the Fitbit Blaze on my Christmas list this year, so this would be the time to get it :).

5. For random odds and ends: Amazon! – this is normally my go-to for everything but they are offering some great deals and it’s a great chance to snag some perfect Christmas presents. Look at the site for daily deals until Monday the 28th and snag the amazon echo, kindle fire, beauty accessories, sewing machines and more for discounted prices!